Tribute to Patriot Guard Riders
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My nephew, SPC. Matthew M. Murchison, was KIA in Baghdad on August 4, 2007. The Kansas Patriot Guard was INCREDIBLE. Such an inspiration and display of respect. Without them at the airport when Matt's casket was removed from the plane that brought him back to America, we would have crumbled. These people are true saints. God Bless every single one of them. They cannot fathom how much they mean to every one of us in our family. http://youtube.com/watch?v=0KZ6WhdI72Y
I commend the Patriot Guard Riders, a group of dedicated individuals who upon seeing an injustice, chose to rise up and not permit anyone to dance on sacred ground. At funerals around the country, they have ridden in on their motorcycles, with American flags waving, signaling to those present that they are there to protect the families as they mourn their loss."
- Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs Steve Buyer (IN) >
One of many Storys:
Dear Brothers and Sisters of the PGR,
After a long journey and an even longer two weeks, my wife and I have finally arrived back at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. I checked my email knowing that there would be too many messages to respond to just yet. However, there was one message that had to be sent immediately and this is it. Thank you. Thank you for honoring our Soldier Girl - PFC Amy Duerksen with roaring bikes and saluting hands. Thank you for honoring our family with kind words and outstretched arms. Thank you for honoring God with bowed heads and prayers in His name. Thank you for honoring our country with pure hearts, good deeds, and American flags. Thank you for giving up your personal time and resources to ride miles upon miles and hours upon hours to honor, serve, and pay tribute to people that you have never met. Thank you to those whose names I know like David David, Eric Story, and Perry Jeffries. And thank you to the myriad of others who I would be proud to know by name. Thank you to each and every one of the PGR who came, or wanted to come, to Amy's going-home celebration. Your presence was a comfort and shield for those of us who were in attendance. May our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, richly bless and protect you in all that you do. In grateful appreciation - Thank you.
In Him,
Doug and Michelle Duerksen
Things like this is what important and not some of the petty fights some seem to want to get into.
"I CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE BY SIMPLY "BEING THERE"
Recently, I saw how a person can make a difference by doing something very simple, and it has inspired me to see how I can make a difference, too. So often, when you think about making a difference, you think of someone changing the world. But, in reality, making a difference can be something as simple as being there for someone who needs a person to lean on, or in this case, just being there to honor and show support for a fallen veteran.
In January of 1971, my grandfather, Lieutenant Colonel James Henry Ayres, was shot down in the Vietnam War. For the past 36 years he has been considered MIA, or Missing In Action. Then on July 6th, my family recieved a call from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command informing us that they had found and identified the remains of the grandfather I never knew, as well as the remains of his copilot.
On August 10th, we finally got to have a funeral with full military honors in Pampa, Texas, which brought closure to my father's, my grandmother's, and my great-grandmother's questions about their loss. Then on October 10, we held another graveside service at the National Cemetery here in Dallas, Texas to bury the common remains of my grandfather and his copilot. Throughout both services, the caring and compassion of those who hardly knew my grandfather blew me away. These people included old childhood friends and acquaintances and the military detail out of Oklahoma who honored my grandfather with a 21-gun salute and a missing man formation flyover by F-16 jets. But, the people I really noticed were the men and women of the Patriot Guard motorcycle group who went out of their way to show their respect for a fellow war veteran whom they had never met. These people came a long way and took time out of their everyday lives to help us honor these fallen soldiers. For my brothers and me, it was an awkward feeling to not know how to feel about a funeral for a man we never knew, but who was still closely tied to us. It just put into perspective how amazing it was that people who didn't have any ties to these men came to help lay to rest James H. Ayres and Charles W. Stratton.
I will never forget the impression it made on me when I first saw the dozens of motorcycles approaching from behind me. When the group called the Patriot Guard arrived, we were waiting patiently in our cars for the funeral procession, when the thunderous roar of engines grabbed our attention. Dozens, or maybe even a hundred motorcycles, ridden by the Patriot Guard of past wars, led the procession. By the time we reached the graveside, most of the motorcyclists had dismounted their rides, adorned with flags, and were standing at attention, each one holding an American flag, waving proudly in the wind. I was very moved by the sight of these complete strangers honoring two other complete strangers.
Each of the men and women of the Patriot Guard showed me that making a difference doesn't have to mean changing the lives of millions of people. It can simply mean being kind enough to put your life on hold to "be there" for two families searching for closure.
Nathan Ayres
13 years old